We'll refrain from declaring that he's doomed to fail. Suffice it to say, Obama and Secretary of State Clinton are putting the U.S. at risk of legitimizing the group's odious workings. That must not happen.

The Bush administration spurned membership when the council was created three years ago after it became clear that the panel was dominated by despots, apologists for despots and governments whose concepts of human rights are far from ideal. Think China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Cuba.

Predictably, the council's output has been a disgrace.

Countries such as Libya and Sudan have been spared all condemnation while, in the words of the nonprofit group UN Watch, the council has been "pathologically obsessed with scapegoating Israel."

The numbers speak for themselves. Israel has been the subject of more than 80% of council resolutions targeted at countries. Israel has also been singled out as ineligible to join the council.

U.S. Ambassador to the UNSusan Rice said she wants to "change the dynamics from the inside" so the council becomes "a key forum for advancing human rights." A step in that direction would be to persuade the body to disavow tenets counter to the First Amendment.

In its most recent session, the Muslim bloc of nations, citing criticisms of Islam following 9/11, won passage of a resolution that calls on countries to "provide adequate protection" from hostility generated by "defamation of religions."

Which means punishing people for commenting on religion in a way deemed unacceptable.

The U.S. has no place in a group whose stated beliefs run so against American values, not to mention human rights. Rice needs to quickly test the council's openness to reform - and stand ready to bail.